Nidome no Yuusha

Translator: Jay_Samuel

I’m Johanna, a receptionist of the guild.

It’s been XX years since I started working for a guild.

A gig which was supposed to be until I get married, now the word veteran is starting to flicker over my head, as is my anxiety…….

No, no, no, it’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright. I’m still young, I’m still pretty, yeah, that’s right.

So, I was already in a foul mood that day.

No, not only that day, but in the last few days, I have been totally unmotivated in my guild work.

I mean…….

『A-ah I feel lazy, somehow because there haven’t been any prospects lately, I haven’t been able to visit the brothel』 『Yeah, right? I wonder if the top guys will be coming back anytime soon』 『Those army guys too are always on the edge, it’s so annoying』

(Ah, my god, these good-for-nothings!!)

At the reception counter, I could hear the voices of the adventurers who have no single shred of aspiration.

People who seem to make money while taking the easy road hunting corpses of monsters that have been discarded by high-ranking adventurers so as not to unnecessarily increase their loads.

Since the adventurers who performed vigorously in this town went to the battle with the demons in response to the summons of the second prince Leon, it seems that only those bunch of leftovers with no hope of getting ahead remain in this town.

(30 points, 35 points, 20 points. Ah, the spring of my life still feels distant……)

I was giving the adventurers who were laughing like oafs passing points, and I was so done with the usual courtesy that I put on.

If a courtesan were to wink at these lot, she would only blame herself at the end.

「Yes, 『Goblin subjugation, 10 counts』, confirmation of subjugation count completed. Here, reward money」

「Come on now, Johanna-chan, don’t be so cold. More importantly, it’s been dangerous lately, should I escort you home tonight?」

I see a stereotypical middle-aged adventurer with no hope for the future, who in his mind was apparently giving me a smile that spells dependable. No matter how conveniently I lowered the standards, I couldn’t see it.

「Please limit your jokes to only your face? If we spend the whole day because of some mere goblin subjugation, it won’t be fair on me. At the very least, climb to B-rank then you can try again. Next person please」

「Tsk, whatever, guess I will just go get myself some cheap beer and hit the sack」

(You lot can’t seem to get past D-rank because you don’t try to sort out your equipments)

I followed the man who shrugged off his shoulders and leaves with my half-opened eyes.

(Aah, maybe I should just give up on good-looking guys with A-rank or top-ranking B-rank, and instead settle for some young promising groom)

While thinking about such things, the handling of shabby requests from familiar faces continued on and on.

「Oh my, you guys are……」

Then next, was a slightly familiar trio of boys and a girl. 𝘧𝓇𝗲𝑒we𝙗noѵ𝑒l.𝐜o𝘮

A combination of the leader of a D-rank party 『Scorn Road』, and the two who are not yet adventurers, they all had a little unusual black hair and eyes.

When they first visited this town’s guild a while ago, I was the one who took care of the two’s adventurer registrations and issued their dungeon pass, and I still have recollection of the bad impression I had of them.

If a party rank to which you belong or your personal rank has reached D, you have the privilege to receive a dungeon pass to enter the dungeon.

So, by regulations, if the two newly registered people joined the party, they are able to obtain a dungeon pass.

『(Party rank is D, 2 out of 3 members are C rank, and only the leader is an E rank……. I’m sure it’s the pattern where he was kicked out of his original party, and then coaxed some greenhorns on the way to form a party. I wonder if he wants to atleast secure the dungeon pass application before the party is dissolved)』

With that kind of thoughts on my mind the last time they were here, adventurer registration aside, I was against issuing the dungeon pass.

Due to difference in talent, it is quite common for a disparity in ability to emerge within an adventurer’s party that was formed when its rank was still low.

Some of the inept adventurers that were thrown out in this way refuse to accept reality, and relent on living at the same level of lifestyle as their former party.

Naturally, living a life that that isn’t within you capability costs money, and only those kinds of people tend to spend all their money overnight.

And they dream of finding rare treasures in dungeons, and sometimes they involve those around them in their downfall.

(Maybe, they wised up, I guess they weren’t as stupid as I thought. From what I can see, they don’t appear to be seriously injured or anything, and it seems like they didn’t wander too deep into the dungeon, and only checked it out a little. I don’t know what they were doing for half a month……, but I wonder if there’s more than meets the eye here)

There are some among those who were thrown out of their parties and branded as failures, who later became accomplished through great efforts on their part.

Not like there aren’t exactly examples of adventurers who weren’t assessed properly due to bad environment, or ones who suddenly blossomed their talents one day.

「So, did you come to accept requests? Still, I’m surprised you’re still alive」

I raised his reputation as a party leader in my heart while not forgetting to give a fair reminder.

I had thought he was just a fool who couldn’t recognize his own abilities, but that might not have been the case.

(That being said……, his newly selected party member still reek of greenhorns, and I don’t feel that desperation from him, the leader, at any rate it’s still seems to be no good)

I think the girl with the prim expression is clicking her tongue, I could tell from watching the behavior of the leader.

The other member too, seems to be the weak and feeble type, so it seems unlikely for this party to become successful.

「So? Did you give up on the dungeon attack that doesn’t fit your status? From what I can see, you’re still in one piece, seems like you have one hell of a luck. First thing to do, is to build a solid foundation」

(A-ah, will this goddamn war with the demons end already. The damage it’s doing to my marriage hunting battle is friggin’ enormous)

Contrary to my flaring mouth, my heart is filled with sighs of melancholy.

「Recklessness is an adventurer’s privilege, is something you can only say if you’re alive……」

(The girl who came in the other created all kinds of mess she could, and then retired by marrying her childhood friend who became a craftsman, to make it worse, even that slutty girl of all people was able to find a partner who is a soldier, and now I have become the oldest……, Aah, damn, how did this happen!!)

My mouth just continued blabbing as if in sync with the irritation state of my mind.

The scoldings that came out of my mouth, at this point are already like a broken record, and even if I were to focus my attention on something else, the words will still come out smoothly. I am very much aware of the fact that it sounds so annoying, but I’m not exactly saying anything in error.

As I was thinking, I feel so refreshed, patting myself in the back, then I heard a voice cutting in.

「Yeah yeah yeah yeah, wait a minute, wait a minute. I didn’t come here today to listen to such idle gossip」

I sighed again at the voice that interrupted my sermon in a mellow tone.

「You still haven’t learned have you? You should listen……」

For crying out loud, this is why low rank adventurers, are, so…….

Garagogga, Goroo, Gotogotogotoo.

「「「「………」」」」

I felt like I could hear the sound of my eyes blinking.

Monster materials spilling from the bag that the leader turned upside down.

(Eh, eh? WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE MATERIALS……?)

Needless to look any closer, the materials of these monsters that are likely to be quite high-ranking, are clearly not among those that found in the ecosystem around town.

Monster materials from the dungeon.

「Now then, may I request for sale of these materials?」

With those words, my inner mind snaps from cloud nine straight into confusion.

「Pl, please hold on for a moment」

In a hurry, I pulled out the material quality check sheet, and started calculating the price while ranking the materials according to type and quality.

(Great Wyvern Fang, Quality Rank A. Lesser phantom’s cloak, Quality Rank S. Flying Viper’s wing membrane, Quality Rank S. Poison Bisha Rabbit’s poisonous thorn, Quality Rank A. Persona Goblin’s eye, Quality Rank A. Woody Bear’s palm, Quality Rank S. Lamia’s Reverse Scales, Quality Rank SS. Flame Leo’s Mane, Quality Rank A. ……Hh, you’ve got to be shitting me?)

The monster materials piled up on the large reception table are ranked so high that only the top adventurers that are currently out of town now are able to gather.

High quality goods that even if the low-lives grumbling at the bar, were to gather and put their puny lives at risk still won’t be able to obtain one.

(No, even before that, such high-quality materials, they would have to try god knows how many times over the course of a year……, even before that, our prized top-level adventurer party has never brought this back at once!?)

All the materials he had were of the highest quality.

Seeing all of them together gathered at once, almost seemed as if I was seeing an illusion.

(Come to think of it, there was a stupid rumor……)

A certain rumor began to spread a few days after they came to the guild.

A rumor that there seems to be an adventurer deep inside the 『Dicey Armed Troops Arena』 who is fighting against monsters like a Shura* alone. (TLN: Bloody Fighting Demon)

The moment I heard it, I ridiculed the adventurers who were saying it when they came to submit report on their quests, thinking what in the world are these fools saying now?

At the least, the minimum number of monsters that appear in a dungeon at once is three. In most cases, a group of five to twenty appears. Moreover, the lesser the number, the greater their individual strength.

It is impossible to continue fighting alone in such a dungeon.

(But……, don’t tell me, was the rumor true afterall?)

There were all kinds of talks about the rumored person being a man or a woman, a beautiful girl or a beastkin, some even go so far to say it’s a demon.

Like with the previous idle gossips of those dunces, the story was all over the place, so it was decided that it lacked any shred of credibility.

And above all, there is another rumor, spreading more vividly than those.

Dragon Slayer.

A rumor depicting that there is an adventurer who has come to be called by those two simple names, without any of such twists.

A man appearing to be a swordsman who climbed the walls of the Dicey Army Troops Arena and obliterates the approaching dragon species using a great magic that has never been heard of.

Even more than the fact that he’s a swordsman wielding great magic, I thought he was a character straight out of an heroic tale to fight against a group of dragons.

Great champions such as the hero and the great sage.

No, I don’t even think that even such people could fight a series of battles against groups of dragons, much less overwhelming them with such ease.

But ……,

「………Gulp」

And, the last of the materials brought in.

A gem similar to a manastone that emits a pale golden light.

This was the only material I had never seen directly.

But, I am very much aware that it is a dragon material. The distinctive pattern floating in the middle of the perfect sphere indicated that it was called 『Dragon Eye』.

(The Dragon Eye is something I’ve only ever seen in the guild’s database……)

It’s a proof of power that is rarely seen on the forehead of a fraction of the superior dragons, or that of a dragon that possesses intelligence, and differentiated from other dragons.

(In addition, this enormous size……. It’s about the same size as the dragon eye of the Kaiser Dragon that was presented by the hero of the era over two hundred years ago isn’t it? If, if so, this isn’t a deal that can be handled by this guild……)

If he really did manage this all on his own, then this means that he’s at the same level as the S-ranks who don’t number up to twenty in the world.

(Of course, an adventurer’s rank is not only measured by their combat prowess, but……)

「……Pardon me, can you please wait in a separate room regarding this particular material? I have to go summon the guild master」

I said thus, in my confused state.

There’s no way a mere receptionist like me can handle such class of goods.

「Oh, Great」

He nodded in agreement without any particular opposition.

(And, after then……!!)

I suddenly became aware of my proactiveness, as if a switch was flipped within me.

That’s right, the marriage hunting war switch!

「Also, I apologize for my disrespect thus far. Adventurer-sama」

I deeply bow my head. Regardless of which of the two men in the party I am to aim for, first, I have to dispel any bad impression.

(Oh shit, I messed up!　But it’s not, it’s not too late, I will make sure I turn things around from my folly!!)

「My lack of insight has made me show a very rude attitude towards you. Please accept my apology」

「Oh, oh no, it ’s okay, the things you said weren’t exactly weird, and I didn’t feel any particular bad intentions from you, ??? I forgive you for the first」

「Thank you very much for your generous consideration」

(Kuku, so the initial attitude was quite hurtful uh~……)

I somehow held in my twitching face.

「Now then let me guide you, please follow me」

I guided the three adventurers to a guest room.

「So, here we are. Please wait in here for a while」

While thinking about how to recover from here on out, I pulled the door open.

(Let me see, first I invite him out to a meal in the name of apology)

「Higii!?」

Suddenly I reflexively raised my voice out from the pain that ran through my feet.

「Oh, I’m so sorry. But it wasn’t on purpose okay?」

「Hii!?」

The girl who has been looking at me with her cold eyes, turns her even colder ice-gaze towards me.

I felt a chill down my spine from that apology that undisguised lip-service.

「Then again……, if it were an insect trying to swarm around dear brother, I would squash it even more aggressively just so you know?」

「!」

The girl goes into the room after saying such in a whisper.

(……I wonder, if I’m doomed to be single for life)

That I was on the verge of tears, is a secret I will take to my grave.